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Weddings |
Can I get married in church?
Yes, if you live in the parish and want to get married in the parish church. Yes, if neither of you have been married before.
Difficulties arise when either of these two conditions is not met. However, it is worth contacting the vicar to discuss your situation as there may be alternative ways round the problem. For example, if you are a student and you live away from home it is a grey area as to whether you are still counted as a resident of the parish.... Talk to the vicar!
Remember that the Church of England has a special relationship with you and almost a duty to help if you are a resident of the parish.
If my partner or I have been married before, can you help?
At the moment we can offer a service of blessing after a civic marriage in these cases. The advantage of a service of blessing is that you can tailor it to your needs and tastes. Many couples find this an acceptable alternative to a wedding service.
How much does it cost?
How long is a piece of string? In comparative terms a wedding in church is a lot less expensive than the reception and sometimes even less than the dress, depending on your taste!
How much then?
Each year the price does increase and we will give you up-to-date information when you contact us. The price for the year 2001 for a service in church with just the vicar present is approximately £200. If you want the choir, an organist, the bells rung after the service and flowers that will all add to the cost.
How soon should I contact you?
The earlier the better, but if you want to get married quickly we can usually help. Most brides find booking the reception more difficult than booking the church, as there are fewer venues to hold the reception than in comparison to the wedding. Our advice - book early!
How do I book?
If you contact the Vicar, the options can be discussed. We hold a diary for at least one year ahead and the vicar will advise you if the date you want is free. If it is, we can pencil in the booking and give you time to confirm your reception. Once that is done, then just get back in touch with us and confirm the date and time and we will give you a firm booking.
If our preferred date is already booked by someone else, what can we do?
We will discuss with you the timing of your service and then speak to the couple that already have a booking. Often we can come to some arrangement. If the date and time clash, we will need to agree an alternative.
Do I have to attend church before the service?
We would like you to do so because we hope that you will want to involve God in your marriage. We cannot force anyone to come to church. It is up to you.
Do I have to be baptised to be married in church?
No.
Will you help us plan our service?
Yes. When you contact us we can send you a wedding pack containing all sorts of useful information to help you plan your big day.
What about hymns and music?
Again, we will give you some ideas and you will be able to meet the organist to discuss your music. Often the organist will be able to play lots of different music for you to hear and choose what suits you.
Can other people be involved in the service?
We are more than happy to welcome family and friends to take part. This can make the occasion very special. We will need to discuss with you what sort of role they could play and how well suited they might be to do that. Often people are invited to read and/or to lead prayers, for example If you have a family member or friend who is a clergyman/woman then they could take a larger role in the service if you wished. Again, we would encourage you to talk about the options with us and we can advise you.
Can the service be videoed?
As a church we have no problem with a video being made of the service. There is sometimes an issue with copyright of music and you may need to seek further specialist advice.
We have children and have been living together for some time. Will that prevent us from getting married in church?
No!
I want to get married at St Andrew's. What do I do now?
Contact the Vicar as soon as you can and we will do our best to help you. In an informal meeting you will be able to arrange an appointment to discuss your plans and commence arrangements and the reading of Banns.
What are Banns?
The term Banns is derived from a Saxon word signifying to proclaim and so we speak of publishing or calling Banns. Publication of Banns dates back to the year 1200, when it was ordered that no marriage should take place without Banns published three times in the Church, previous to which there was no solemnization of marriage in the Church.
Before marrying in a parish church you have to make sure there is no impediment to the marriage. The usual way of doing this was by publishing Banns - making a public declaration that you intended to marry. The Banns would be published (announced) during the principal service in the parish church on three successive Sundays. If the man and his bride-to-be lived in different parishes the Banns had to be published in both churches.
Banns shall be published in an audible manner and in accordance with one of the following forms of words - "I publish the banns of marriage between A.B. of ----- and C.D. of -----. If any of you know any cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first [second or third] time of asking." or "I publish the banns of marriage between A.B. of ----- and C.D of -----. If any of you know any reason in law why these persons may not marry each other, you are to declare it now."
Further detailed information about church weddings can be obtained from The Church of England web site.
Contact the Church Office or telephone 01223 232255 for further details.